Torn between TXST and UTA (Full Tuition at both) - Need advice for ME/Aerospace!

College Majors Engineering Majors
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Hi everyone,

I am an international applicant from Bangladesh, and I’m incredibly grateful to have received full-tuition scholarships from both Texas State University (TXST) and the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA). Now, I’m trying to decide where to commit.

I was admitted to UTA for Aerospace Engineering, but I plan to switch to Mechanical Engineering (ME). My major at TXST is already ME. Academically, UTA seems to have the edge since it’s an R1 research university, while TXST is R2.

However, I have a few specific priorities and would love your insights:

  • Research Opportunities: I am passionate about Aerospace Engineering, but as an international student, getting a bachelor’s in Aerospace isn’t the most practical choice due to job restrictions. My goal is to get my master’s and PhD in Aerospace at a T20 university. Therefore, I need significant research exposure right now to strengthen my grad school profile. Which school is better for undergrad research?

  • Jobs & Internships: I want to cover most of my living expenses myself. Which campus has better opportunities for on-campus jobs (like Lab Assistant, Research Assistant, etc.)? Additionally, I’m looking for nearby summer internships that align with my career goals so I don’t have to relocate during the summer.

  • Campus Environment: I am an introvert, so a vibrant party/campus life isn’t a priority for me. However, I really want supportive peers and faculty, and a diverse, welcoming environment where I won’t have to worry about racism.

  • Cost of Living: Between Arlington and San Marcos, where are the living expenses comparatively lower?

Considering all of these factors, which university do you think is the better fit for me? Thank you!

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  1. Choose UTA if: You are 100% certain about Aerospace. UTA is a regional powerhouse for Aerospace, located in a major defense and aviation hub (Lockheed Martin, Bell, Boeing).
  2. Choose TXST if: You want a Mechanical Engineering degree with a modern “Industry 4.0” edge. If you value a traditional, vibrant college experience (social life, the river, a cohesive campus), TXST wins.
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You’re not a U.S. student but if you were, to me, I’d go Arlington because it’s got ABET accreditation in both Mech E and Aero. Texas State is accredited in neither which means it could be tough to find a job here.

I’m sure Arlington is more expensive to live etc but I would never attend a non accredited program. Texas State has accredited programs but not either major you are looking at.

So for that reason I wouldn’t attend there. I don’t know about research and other factors but I’m sure both have. But I’d never have even applied to Tx State given the lack of accreditation so to me it’s an easy call.

Good luck.

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How are you paying for room and board (looks like about $12K at UTA), along with travel, health insurance, and incidentals? At any school in the US, international students need to purchase the student health insurance. At UT Arlington, full year coverage (includes summer) is $3,600.

To get your student visa, you will have to demonstrate that you have full funds to cover these expenses for the first year on hand, and a plan to pay all four years.

Why, when you know the issues with working in Aero and/or the defense industry when you are in the US? These restrictions are in place for masters and phd students/grads too. Where do you plan to reside after graduation?

You might check at each school to see if international students are able to do research.

It will be difficult to work during the school year while majoring in engineering. I’m sure you know you are limited to 20 hrs per week during the school year, but that’s too much anyway. 10 hours may be too much, especially for a first year engineering student.

I’m not sure how much you are looking to earn during the school year and in the summers, but you may want to speak with each school to find out how competitive on-campus jobs are. Lab and research assistant jobs more often go to masters and phd students, so something else to look into.

I agree that Arlington seems to be the best choice, but it will be more expensive, and you need to more fully flesh out your plans and understanding of how much you will be able to earn in the US and in what types of on-campus jobs.

For any work after the first year that you want to do off-campus, you need prior authorization. Talk with someone at UT Arlington from this office about your options and if they think you will be able to find summer full time work in the area: https://www.uta.edu/student-affairs/oie/isss/employment/opt-categories-simplified/sevp-portal

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I agree with the other posters that UTA, with ABET accreditation is the better choice.

A few other things -

Despite being a smaller town, San Marcos’s off campus housing is relatively expensive. I’m not sure there will be much savings there in terms of cost of living.

I would recommend talking to the office of international students at UTA and asking if there are any restrictions for international students in research labs on campus. (This was an issue for the PhD student my daughter worked under at another school).

Unfortunately you will have an uphill battle to live and work in the US as an international student, especially in your field of interest.

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Accreditation : Ingram School of Engineering : Texas State University indicates that “ABET accreditation will be sought for the Mechanical Engineering program at the earliest time appropriate.” If interested, ask directly what the timeline is expected to be. The ME major is new (started in 2022) at Texas State, and ABET accreditation cannot be granted until after the first students have graduated (although it will be retroactive to those students if granted).

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The issue is I’m an international student. So, it might be suicidal for my career if I do my bachelor’s in Aerospace.

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Thank you very much. I didn’t know that TXST ABET accredited.

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With my parents’ current bank balance, they can provide 10K USD every year. The real estates they have I don’t have to do any part time job.

I plan to do masters abd PhD because I am really passionate about Aerospace. If it’s not in the USA, I’ll head for EU. My country doesn’t have any field for AE grads. As for now, I am inteding to switch to ME for safety, as it’s versatile and similar to AE.

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This suggests you may not be able to get a visa to student here because your costs for the first year are going to be closer to $20k.

Do you have any undergrad opportunities in other countries?

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I mean, they have 45k USD in their bank account, and my cost on I20 is 19K USD. Moreover, they have real estate worth 220K USD, excluding our house.

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